Airlines Design Special Menus for Fasting Passengers

The holy month of Ramadhan is celebrated this year by millions of Muslims around the world between July 20 and August 19. Middle Eastern airlines have designed special programs to ensure the well-being of their customers fasting during the holy month.

These meals will be served at Iftar, the evening meal when Muslims break their fast.

Qatar Airways clients fasting during Ramadhan will be served an Iftar box which includes local treats associated with the breaking of the fast such as laban, dates and sweets. The box also includes a chicken shawarma sandwich with spiced chicken, tahina sauce and shredded lettuce and a mezze salad featuring hummus, olives, vegetables and olive oil with Arabic bread.

To finish, mixed fruits and nuts together with fresh banana.

The meal is available onboard Qatar Airways-operated flights between Doha and the Gulf, Middle East and the Levant, including popular destinations such as Abu Dhabi, Alexandria, Bahrain, Benghazi, Cairo, Dubai, Jeddah, Kuwait, Madinah, Mashad, Muscat, Riyadh, Sanaa and Tehran.

Alcohol won’t be available onboard any of these flights.

This year, Emirates introduced a tool developed in collaboration with the Dubai Astronomy Group, to calculate the exact timings for Iftar while in-flight. Iftar will be determined based on where the aircraft is located at the time the sun goes down.

Emirates is serving a special menu for passengers observing Ramadan. Passengers departing close to Iftar will get a small snack box at the boarding gate, while larger Iftar meal boxes will be served to fasting passengers in-flight.

Another airline, Gulf Air has also designed special Iftar meals to be served across the Middle East network during Ramadhan consisting of dates, labban, sandwich and fruit salad, served in a specially designed box.